How Do I Know If I Have Sensitive Skin?

How Do I Know If I Have Sensitive Skin?

If you suffer from mild skin irritations from time to time, you may have sensitive skin. Unfortunately, sensitive skin is not a diagnosis. It is generally used to describe skin with a reduced tolerance to cosmetics, personal care or household products. Not sure if that's you? Well, if you regularly experience the following, you probably have sensitive skin:

You react to everyday products

If you have sensitive skin, you probably notice that everyday products like soaps, detergents, fragrances, perfumes, skincare products, and household products may cause your skin to react whether it be itchiness, dryness or reddening.

You notice redness in the form of rashes, bumps or flushing

Frequent red rashes, bumps or flushing are often tell-tale signs of sensitive skin. These will usually go away after removing the product causing irritation. 

Your skin is dry and flaky 

Dryness of the skin goes hand in hand with sensitive skin. Scaling or flaking of the skin develops the longer the dryness persists. You may notice a flare up with dry skin in cold, dry weather and when exposed to wind. 

Your skin is itchy

Sensitive skin may often feel itchy and tight, especially after cleansing with products that are too harsh or using water that is too hot.

You sunburn easily 

Your sensitive skin is more susceptible to the harmful effects of the sun. If your skin is already irritated or peeling, you are at an even higher risk so it’s important to wear sunscreen even during a flare up. 

When it comes to caring for sensitive skin, there are a number of ways to avoid a flare up. These include:

  1. Keep showers short and lukewarm.
  2. When trying new products, always patch test on a small amount of skin.
  3. Avoid harsh skincare and household products.
  4. Use a gentle, fragrance free moisturiser that contains emollients to soothe and hydrate irritated skin, like our all-new Dermatologicaly Tested & Clinically Proven, Sensitive Body Milk
Use a fragrance free broad spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen. We recommend either our Sensitive Sunscreen SPF 50+ or Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, which are both free from fragrance, parabens & PABAs, and are suitable for sensitive skin.
Back to blogs